The Afghanistan Medal was formally established by Letters Patent on 30 September 2004.

How it is awarded

The Governor-General awards the medal on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Force or his/her delegate.

Australian Defence Force members serving in the following operations are recognised:

Operation Slipper, from 11 October 2001 to 5 December 2002

Operation Palate, ongoing from 6 December 2002

Eligibility includes a specified period of (aggregated) service or, in the case of Air Force members, a qualifying number of sorties.

Medal Design

The Afghanistan medal features the Commonwealth Coat of Arms on the front and images of symbolic relevance to the area of operation on the back.

The reverse of the Afghanistan Medal shows a snow-capped mountain range with a multi-rayed sun rising behind the mountains. The mountains represent the dominant terrain of the country and the rising sun signifies a 'new dawn' for the nation.

The word 'Afghanistan' is inscribed in English and in the Arabic script of the two dominant languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashton.

Medal Ribbon

The medal ribbon has a central vertical stripe of red, signifying the conflict in Afghanistan. This is flanked by stripes of purple representing the three arms of the Australian Defence Force. Stripes of khaki, white and light blue border the inner stripes. They symbolise the Afghanistan terrain, the snow-peaked mountains and the sky above, respectively.